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How
to Do It Guide
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Sample Day for Phase 1: Immerse in Science
Barbara, the ScienceQuest coach, had made plans for the second ScienceQuest meeting that included a discussion and then an immersion activity outside for the two-hour period. She hoped that the simple "field trip" would help the kids choose topics or questions that sparked their interest.
First the team talked about how scientists make careful observations and document their questions and ideas, something they had talked about during their first meeting.
After reviewing rules for sticking together outside, the group went outside with journals and pencils. The computer center faces a busy street, with nearby construction projects and a small park. Her goal was to have the kids recognize the "science all around us." She challenged the kids to find something on their walk around the neighborhood that could NOT be connected to science. For every idea they shared, she helped all the kids together to brainstorm about possible links to science. "The construction site isn't science," said one. Another kid immediately pointed out the engineering involved in designing the new building. A third mentioned the motors needed to operate the vehicles. Someone else said, "The food store isn't science." As they looked in the window, the coach pointed out the chemistry involved in food preparation and the growing process for fruits and vegetables. By the end of their half an hour walk, the kids had identified scientific topics related to engineering, physics, biology, and chemistry. On the way back to the lab, the kids wrote down ideas that most interested them and drew pictures of what had sparked their interest in their journals.
Back in the
lab, they spent their last 20 minutes adding any other ideas and discussing
what they had seen and thought. She then had them choose one of the ideas
that they had a question about and write the question in their journals
as well. The day ended with no final decisions about their ScienceQuest
topic, but each kid had ideas and concrete possibilities. Barbara had
gotten to know the kids better, how they asked questions and thought about
connections to science, and had seen what was interesting to them.
